Died On This Date (August 15, 2010) Robert Wilson / Bassist For The Gap Band

Robert Wilson
DOB Unknown – August 15, 2010

Known as the “Godfather Of The Bass Guitar,” Robert Wilson was the founding bassist for influential funk group, the Gap Band.  Formed in 1967 by brothers Robert Wilson, Charlie Wilson, and Ronnie Wilson, the Gap Band went on to have several R&B hits throughout the ’70s and ’80s and helped define what we now call funk.  Their hits include  “You Dropped A Bomb On Me,” “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me),” and “Early In The Morning.”  In recent years, their music could be heard as samples in songs by the likes of Nas, Snoop Dog, Notorious B.I.G., and Mary J. Blige.  Robert Wilson, age 53, died of a massive heart attack on August 15, 2010.

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Gap Band

Died On This Date (April 9, 2009) Randy Cain / The Delfonics

Randy Cain (Born Rudy Cain)
May 2, 1945 – April 9, 2009

Randy Cain at right
Randy Cain at right

As one of the Delfonics, Randy Cain helped put Philly soul on the map back in the mid-1960s.  The group, originally called the Four Gents formed while Cain was still in high school.  The vocal group went on to record some of the era’s most memorable songs including “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind),” and “La La (Means I Love You).”  Both of which found new audiences when they were prominently featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.  The Delfonics’ songs are favored by many of today’s Hip Hop artists including Nas, the Nortorious B.I.G., and Missy Elliott.  Cain left the group in 1971 but returned for a reunion in the mid 80s.  He later sued the group and their label for back royalties.   Cain’s lifeless body was found in his home.  Cause of death is not known.  He was 63.

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Delfonics

Died On This Date (March 9, 1997) Christopher Wallace / The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G. (Born Christopher Wallace)
May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.; Biggie Smalls) was an east coast rapper signed to Sean “Puffy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records. Although Wallace had some run-ins with the law, his musical talent could not be denied. And just as that talent was catapulting him to the upper stratosphere of the musical world, Wallace’s reported life of crime and involvement in a festering east coast vs west coast feud, he was executed in a hail of bullets outside the Soul Train Awards in Los Angeles, CA.  Christopher Wallace was just 24 when he was allegedly assassinated during a drive-by shooting.  The crime remains unsolved and is ripe with theories involving Marion “Suge” Knight, the LAPD, the Crips and the Bloods.  Wallace was married to R&B singer, Faith Evans.

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Ready to Die - The Remaster - The Notorious B.I.G.

Died On This Date (October 10, 2008) Alton Ellis / Godfather Of Rocksteady

Alton Ellis
September 1, 1938 – October 10, 2008

Known as the “Godfather Of Rocksteady,” Alton Ellis was a Jamaican musician who took the elements of ska and slowed them down to a more relaxed beat.  It in turn, paved the way for what we now know as reggae.  A prolific singer, Ellis began his career with Eddy Perkins in the late ’50s as part of a duo, Alton & Eddy, who scored a big Jamaican hit with their “Muriel.”  In the early ’60s, he formed his group, the Flames just as ska was taking hold throughout Jamaica.  He slowed the beat down and recorded a hit song called “Rock Steady” which became the new genre’s name.  In 1967, he recorded a song called “Mad Men” that included a three-note descending horn line which became became a constant in more than 100 reggae songs to follow.  Reinterpretations of it can be heard in hip-hop songs by the likes of Tupac Shakur, KRS-One, and the Notorious B.I.G..  Ellis continued to stay active until his health began to give out in the mid 2000’s.  Diagnosed with cancer in late 2007, Alton Ellis died from it on October 10, 2008.  He was 70 years old.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.

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Sunday Coming - Alton Ellis

Died On This Date (October 2, 2009) John Rivas aka Mr. Magic / Pioneering Hip-Hop Disc Jockey

Mr. Magic (Born John Rivas)
DOB Unknown – October 2, 2009

MrMagicMr. Magic was a New York City disc jockey who helped bring hip-hop and rap to a much wider audience during the early ’80s.  Premiering on WBLS in 1983, Mr. Magic’s “Rap Attack” program was the first to ever play hip hop exclusively on any major radio station in the U.S.  For the next six years, the show helped launch the careers of  such artists as WhodiniMarley Marl and Boogie Down Productions.  He was also noted as an influence on the likes of Tupac Shakur and the Notrorius B.I.G. Younger generations may recoginize his name and voice as the DJ on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.  Mr. Magic died of a heart attack on October 2, 2009.